Is Pluto a Planet Again? Several Scientists Say Yes
Is Pluto a planet? The scientific debate reignited once again on Sept. 18 as some researchers argued for the dwarf-planet to regain its designated place in the solar system. Pluto was downgraded from a planet to a dwarf-planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union, but at forum last month, some scientists began to challenge that claim.
Pluto's planetary status was called into question by Harvard science historian Dr. Owen Gingerich, who is the chair of the IAU planet definition committee. He said at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics that just because Pluto doesn't necessarily fulfill the scientific definition of "planet" doesn't mean it can't be included as one.
"A planet is a culturally defined word that changed over time," Gingerich said. Another scientist, Dr. Dimitar Sasselov, agreed with him.
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A planet is "the smallest spherical lump of matter that formed around stars or stellar remnants," he said — basically, Pluto is a planet.
The panel argued against Dr. Gareth Williams, who pushed back with the traditional definition of a planet: it orbits around the sun, has sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium (in other words, it's round), and has "cleared the neighborhood" of its orbit. While Pluto meets the first two requirements, Eris, which is nearby, is about 27 percent bigger than Pluto.
Still, Gingerich and Williams were able to convince the audience of the forum of their point, and when it came to a vote, more people were in favor of giving Pluto its planetary status back. For it to happen officially, though, the IAU would have to vote on the matter at their General Assembly.
